


Baby Blues

by kuonji



Series: A New Life [2]
Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Angst and Humor, Character Study, F/M, Family, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-15
Updated: 2012-09-15
Packaged: 2017-11-14 08:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/513226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuonji/pseuds/kuonji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hutch is upset, but Starsky's there for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby Blues

**Author's Note:**

> Alternative Links:  
> <http://starskyhutch911.livejournal.com/582946.html>

"It's okay. I'm right here." Starsky kissed the top of the soft blond head. "C'mon now. Let me see you smile. Show me those pretty baby blues. Shh, don't cry, don't cry," he murmured, as another whimper sounded against his chest. He rubbed soft circles and hummed a few bars of a lullaby. The whimpers increased in volume. "Don't cry!" Starsky pleaded. He cast a furtive glance at the door.

The warm body he held against him moved restlessly, and the whimpers built up into a cry, and then a full-throated wail.

"Starsky!"

Starsky jumped guiltily as Hutch swooped down on him. Davey was snatched out of his arms. "What did you do to him, for god's sake?" Hutch rocked the baby gently and began singing something in a light, hypnotic baritone. Amazingly, Davey settled down immediately. He stared up at his father with his beautiful, big eyes glistening wet from tears.

"I was just feedin' him, like you said. I guess he's not used to eating from a bottle yet." Starsky held out the aforementioned bottle apologetically.

Disaster past, Hutch had time to shoot Starsky a sardonic look. "Who was it who boasted about being an 'expert' at this sort of thing?" He smiled grimly as he took the bottle of formula. "It's not your fault. He won't eat unless his mom's around." Indeed, as he put the nipple to Davey's mouth, Davey fussed and jerked his head away.

"It must be hard on Fran."

Hutch glanced over his shoulder at the bedroom he'd just come out of. "Yeah. But he has to learn. Fran's barely gotten any rest since before Davey was born. She's so tired all the time, it's no wonder that she fell..." Hutch sat on the couch next to Starsky and set the wriggling five-month-old in his lap. "Be a good boy, Davey. You can do it. Mommy can't feed you right now, but she wants you to grow up big and strong, okay?"

The baby took the nipple, but he sucked for only a few seconds before rejecting it again. Hutch threw Starsky a helpless expression. "I don't know what's wrong, Starsk," he said miserably. "He was starting to take the bottle more and more as long as Fran was doing it. He just-- I-- Why doesn't he like me?" Tears of frustration and exhaustion were brimming in Hutch's blue eyes.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Starsky wrapped his arms around both sad blonds. Hutch laid his forehead on Starsky's shoulder while Starsky patted his back soothingly. Davey whimpered between them but settled again without crying. "He's still gaining weight, right?" Hutch nodded. "And Fran's on the mend?" Another nod. "Then what're you worrying about? The kid's just confused and upset. Wouldn't you be?"

"Huh?"

Starsky sat back and raised his eyebrows comically to make Hutch smile. "Well, think about it! What if you had a pretty, sweet-smelling, little lady fixin' all your meals all your life. Then suddenly, some ham-fisted, sweaty, big lug wants to take over the job. Wouldn't you be bawling your head off?"

Hutch chuckled, then started to laugh. The vibration seemed to tickle Davey. The baby kicked, as if surprised, and craned his head around to look for the source of the strange disturbance. His wide-eyed, befuddled expression caused both men to laugh some more. Finally, Davey broke out into a tentative smile himself.

Taking the chance, Starsky took the bottle from Hutch's hand and pressed it enticingly against Davey's bottom lip. The little face creased slightly in a frown -- so like his dad that Starsky couldn't help but grin -- but then he took the proffered nipple and began sucking. When it became evident that he was going to continue, Hutch stared at Starsky in wonder.

"How did you do that?" he whispered, obviously scared to disrupt the current magical conditions by moving or speaking too loud.

"He just needs to be relaxed and happy. That's how he feels when his mama's feeding him."

Hutch's face fell. He looked down at his son. "So he's unhappy when he's with me?"

Starsky rolled his eyes. "No, you idiot. He's unhappy when you're unhappy. You're so tense lately, you even make _me_ lose my appetite."

"You? I guess I must have been pretty bad, all right," Hutch acceded with a wry smile.

He had been. What with Fran's accident, plus the all-too-clear memory of Davey's early health problems, and the ever-increasing case load for their department on top of that, Starsky wondered if Hutch was getting any sleep at all himself.

"I'm sorry, Davey. I didn't mean to make you nervous. One stressed out Hutchinson male is enough for this household." He shot Starsky a self-deprecating smile as he said that. Shifting gently, Hutch took the bottle from Starsky and sat back with his son. He started singing some old country song, low and sweet. Just like before, Davey calmed almost immediately. His eyes started to close, even as his mouth continued to work, apparently making up for all the food he'd missed out on earlier.

Starsky kept a comfortable arm around Hutch's shoulder, and they both watched the baby eat for a while, just enjoying the sight.

"Oh, what a sweet picture. I wish I had a camera."

Hutch jumped at the voice, and his hand slipped. Davey voiced his complaint with a startled whine.

"Frannie, you shouldn't be up!" Hutch handed his son to Starsky and hurried to his wife standing in front of the doorway to their bedroom. He put his arms around her waist from behind. "Are you hungry? Do you need another aspirin? There's ice water in the fridge, or do you want something warm...?"

Her arms occupied by a pair of crutches, the tall, slightly plump but shapely woman pushed her husband back with one shoulder. "Don't be such a mother hen, Ken. I'm feeling fine. I just wanted to see David. It would have been so rude to sleep through his visit."

"Hey, Clyde," Starsky greeted. His use of his nickname for her was rewarded with a small smile. Despite her words, he noted the bags under her eyes and how her normally immaculate hair hung limp and listless. Her entire body seemed to drag. "Don't worry about it. You need your rest more than you need to see my ugly mug."

Fran looked around, and her smile dimmed slightly. "Bonnie didn't come with you?"

Starsky didn't feel insulted. He knew better than anyone how helpful it was to see your best friend when you were hurting. "She's at home with the twins. Things are crazy now that they can run around. We didn't want to bring the whole circus to your door."

"You should be home helping her, then." Fran sighed. She had apparently tired enough to lean back against her anxious husband.

"No way!" Starsky stood up carefully and brought the little man of the house to his parents. "Three gorgeous blonds all around me like this. How could I ever leave?"

"Oh, you!"

"I'm serious! Bonnie'd have to come along with the mars light on to drag me outta here." Holding Davey out in front of him, he shimmied his hips and executed a few dance moves. "Woooman, take me in your arms / Rock your baby~!" he sang in a falsetto.

Fran made only an echo of her usual full-bodied laugh, but she was clearly delighted by Starsky's teasing. Hutch lowered his head and smiled his pleasure into the back of his wife's neck. Davey, tummy full and his mom safely back in sight, and entranced by his silly uncle, abruptly chortled his own baby sound of glee.

Looking at them together made Starsky suddenly miss his own family, despite having been with them less than an hour ago.

"I'd better be heading back. I'm making dinner tonight."

"Yup, better go feed your zoo animals," Hutch quipped. Starsky glared as he handed Hutch's son back to him.

"If you weren't holding an infant right now..." he mock-threatened. He turned to Fran. "You take care of yourself, okay?" He tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear, then pecked her on the cheek.

"Starsk." Hutch looked more serious now.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Starsky looked at his best friend with his wife and kid, looking more relaxed than he had in weeks. "My pleasure," he said, and meant it.

  
END.

**Author's Note:**

> The song Starsky is singing is ["Rock Your Baby", by George McCrae](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arxhW1RgDDo).
> 
> Davey Hutchinson just happens to be mood-sensitive and responds to music. I'm not in any way saying that this will work for any other child. Every baby is different, and sometimes they really just won't take milk from a particular person at a particular time. If you have a baby like that, don't worry. It'll work out. We can't all have Uncle Starskys to save the day. :)
> 
> If you enjoyed this story, you might try these:    
>      [Pi Dan](http://community.livejournal.com/starskyhutch911/475207.html) (Starsky & Hutch), by kuonji    
>      [Beauty In The Beast](http://community.livejournal.com/starskyhutch911/388979.html) (Starsky & Hutch), by kuonji    
>      [Baby Steps](http://rebelcat4.tripod.com/id5.html) (Starsky & Hutch), by Rebelcat  
>  


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